Rhubarb season

Ah, rhubarb. I'm learning to really appreciate you. 

We picked some up at the St. Paul Farmer's Market today and made a custard crisp. 

I'm a sucker for custard. Here's the recipe:

First, the filling. Mix together in a bowl, pour into lightly greased 8x8 pan.

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. cream

1 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

4 tbsp. flour

4 c. rhubarb

Mix topping (hot tip: use the same bowl!), top filling and bake for 45 min at 350. Enjoy.

1 c. oats

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. softened butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

(image via Modern Taste)

Table for Two: Lake Avenue

Alex and I recently took a quick trip up to Duluth to enjoy the fall colors and do some relaxing. We tend to focus on food when we travel so we made the effort to get to some good restaurants. The first one we tried was Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar, recommended by my good friend, Terry, a Duluthian and fellow food lover. We shared the Chorizo Stuffed Dates and they were amazing. I had the Salted Cod Gnocchi which was topped with a little apple butter, of all things. That was a fun, unexpected flavor pairing that added a sweetness and made it taste really fall-y. Alex had the Deconstructed Fish and Chips, which was a nice take on the classic. Instead of dessert, we opted for the Caprese Eclair, a puff pastry-wrapped and baked caprese salad. It was all really good.

The other two restaurants we went to were New Scenic Cafe and Fitger's Brewhouse. I highly recommend both- NSC for everything on their menu and Fitger's for the beer (obviously) and the wild rice burger.

MOOD

MOOD is a brand new online magazine by Brussels-based designer and friend, Emma Hovel, and her boyfriend Mario Villar. Their concept is a magazine that finds the intersection where food and music meet, and then take great photos. Emma kindly asked me to contribute with a recipe from my mom. We even had a little photo shoot! Check out the full issue of MOOD here and learn how to make our recipe for Warm Goat Cheese and Beet Salad.

Table for Two: Bar La Grassa

Alex and I celebrated our anniversary recently by eating some fantastic food at Bar La Grassa in the warehouse district of Mpls. They specialize in Italian pastas and bruschetta topped with things like soft eggs and lobster and white anchovy and avocado, which we tried. My favorite dish, the gnocchi with cauliflower and orange was a plate of little pillows of heaven. Seriously, so good. We also had the cheese plate, served with Ames Farm honey and the crab ravioli, both of which were good but not stellar. For desert we had an amazing chocolate caramel cake with peanut brittle. My only complaint is that the crowd paired with the open kitchen and music makes the restaurant quite loud. But despite having to shout at each other, we'd go back because the food was totally worth it.

So Freakin' Cute

What makes the avocado so awesome? Is it the lumpy pear-like shape? Or the perfectly 

round pit, nestled in the center? The amazing taste and texture? We may never know, but Herman Marie
on Etsy gets it. Cut from wood and painted by hand, hang this 'cado on your wall to enjoy forever.

Three things

I can't wait to make home-made mojitos. I can't wait to go camping with friends.
I can't wait for my first day as a graphic design intern...

Classic Mojito for Two

2 limes

4 oz (1/2 cup) minty simple syrup

bunch of mint leaves

4 oz. white rum

club soda or sparkling water

minty simple syrup

16 oz. sugar

16 oz. water

3 sprigs of fresh mint

Minty simple syrup: Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and set over medium high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high and let boil for a few minutes. Remove from heat and toss in the mint. Let steep for a few minutes (or until the syrup is minty enough for you). Remove the mint and let the syrup cool (can be stored in a glass jar, sealed, and refrigerated until ready to use). In a 12 oz. glass, combine lime juice, minty simple syrup, and a bunch of mint leaves. Muddle the leaves so they are bruised (not necessary to shred them). Fill the glass with ice and top with rum. Top the rest of the glass with club soda or sparkling water and garnish with a lime wedge. 

Table for Two: victory 44

I would call myself an "aspiring foodie." If it were in my budget, I'd visit every great restaurant in town (of which there are many) and try the best dishes. For now, we settle for eating at an excellent eatery once a month or so. Our most recent was chef-owned Victory 44 in North Minneapolis. We shared small plates of bacon-wrapped stuffed dates, roasted beet salad, and charcuterie with some friends. I also had seared scallops over barley risotto and Alex had The Perfect Burger. I was most impressed with the small plates. The most unique thing about Victory 44 is that the person taking your order and serving you is also a chef in the restaurant, giving them an even more intimate knowledge of the food.

granola is yum!

This is the delicious result of my first attempt at making granola. It's not very chunky but it is perfectly crispy. I included oats, pecans, sunflower seeds, flax, brown sugar, honey, dried cranberries, and sea salt.